Valve-gear mechanism.



PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

F. LAMPLOUGH. VALVE GEAR MECHANISM. APPLIGATION FILED MAR.22, 1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET l.

wmm (Q) PATENTED NOV. 28, 19 05.

F. LAMPLOUGH. VALVE GEAR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.22, 1905.

2 SHEB'I'SSHBET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed March 22, 1905. Serial No. 251. 162.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK LAMP- LOUGH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Willesden, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Valve-Gear Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to improvements upon that class of mechanism for operating the valves of steam and gas engines and the like in which a gear-wheel on the engine crank-shaft communicates motion to the shaft carrying the valve-operating cranks, eccentrics, or cams by means of movable intermediate gearing and a gear-wheel fixed on said valve-operating shaft, whereby the relative positions of the valve-operating cranks, eccentrics, or cams with relation to the engine crank-shaft can be readily varied; and my invention consists in a simple form of apparatus in which only four gear-wheels are employed.

I will describe my invention by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure. 1 is alongitudinal section, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, of one form of my improved apparatus.

a is the engine crank-shaft, on which is keyed a skewtoothed or screwthreaded wheel I), which latter gives motion to a pair of right and left handed skew or screw threaded wheels 0 d by gearing with the wheel 0. These wheels 0 d, as shown in the drawings, are formed of one solid piece fitted at the ends with ball thrust-bearings e and are mounted on a non-rotating shaft or rod f, which they are boredto fit. These wheels 0 (1 may, however, be formed separately and fixed on a sleeve fitting the shaft or rod f, or they may be fixed or formed on a rotating sliding shaft. The lefthand skew or screw threaded wheel cl gives motion to the shaft g, carrying the valve-cranks, eccentrics, or cams, by gearing with a skew toothed or screwthreaded wheel h, fixed on such shaft g. It will be evident that it is immaterial which of the wheels 0 d is right or left handed so long as they are the reverse of each other and the wheels I) and 7b are respectively formed to gear therewith. The whole of the gearing is inclosed in an oil bath or casing 'i, and the shaft or rodf works through bearings j, formed at the ends of said casing. One end of the shaft or rod f, as shown in the drawings, has an eye 7c, by which and by suitable connections it is connected to the hand-lever of the engine, or the endwise position of such shaft f may be controlled by a governor.

In the case of the wheels 0 d being fixed or formed on a sliding rotating shaft such shaft would be moved endwise by a fork-lever. Thus by moving the shaft or rod f endwise in its bearings the gearing will cause the valvecranks, eccentrics, or cams to assume different relations with respect to the enginecranks, and thus cause the engine to have an earlier or later cut-off and reverse. In some cases it is preferable to place the wheels I) h on shafts parallel with the axis of the wheels cd.

Throughout the specification and clalm when skew or screw wheel is mentioned I wish to have it understood that I do not limit myself to either of these specific constructions of gears; but, on the contrary, any equivalent may be substituted therefor and still come within the scope of my invention for example, a worm-gear, &c.

. Havingfully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y In mechanism for operating the valves of steam and gas engines and the like, the combination of a screw-toothed wheel fixed on the engine crankshaft, a screwtoothed wheel of contrary direction to the above fixed on the shaft carrying the valve-cranks, eccentrics, a pair of right and left handed screwtoothed wheels fixed and rotating together,

on a counter-shaft, one of such wheels gearing with the wheel on the engine crank-shaft and the other with the wheel on the shaft carrying the valve-cranks, eccentrics, and means for moving said conical 'pair of right and left handed screw-toothed wheels endwise, substantially as herein shownand described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK LAMPLOUGII. Witnesses:

B. J. B. MILLS, CLAUDE K. MILLS. 

